One of the biggest things my couples (in particular the women!) tell me they don’t want from their birth is to tear (perineal tearing) or have an episiotomy (a cut). I mean, who wants to tear or be cut down there right? The way I look at it, although it is definitely less than desirable, sometimes it might be necessary and actually, we are lucky our skin can be fixed and can heal itself incredibly well.
However, there are some things you can do during pregnancy and during labour itself to try to prevent perineal tearing or the need for an episiotomy.
The main way is to perform perineal massage. Research that has been undertaken in perineal massage found that massaging your perineum (the area between the vagina and the anus) in the antenatal period and during at least the last four weeks of pregnancy before your baby’s due date, reduces the likelihood of tearing, and in particular, the need for an episiotomy. This is because the better you prepare the muscle and tissues of the perineum to be soft and flexible, the less likely it is that the skin will tear.
The video below shows how to perform perineal massage.
Other preventative measures include:
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Sitting on a birthing/exercise ball
- Home birth. A study by Murphy and Feinland of 1068 women who had home births, 69.6% had intact perineums
- Birthing pool – the warmth and water softens the perineum
- Slow birth
- Gently breathing the baby down rather than coached pushing
For a written guide on how to perform perineal massage click here.
